Sam Jinich, PhD

SFCEFT Director

Sam Jinich, PhD

Certified EFT Trainer, Supervisor & Therapist

Dr. Sam Jinich is the Director at the San Francisco Center for Emotionally Focused Therapy (SFCEFT). Sam is a Clinical Psychologist in private practice in San Francisco. He is one of the founders of the Northern California Community for Emotionally Focused Therapy (NCCEFT).

As a Certified EFT Therapist, Supervisor and Trainer, Sam's expertise in this model of therapy is recognized by the International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy (ICEEFT).

Sam has led the EFT Externship and Core Skills in English and Spanish in the San Francisco Bay Area, Mexico (Mexico City & Mérida), Guatemala, Costa Rica, Argentina and Spain. In June 2018, he will teach in Panama.

Sam Jinich, PhD co-leads the Attunement Training for Therapists, the Forgiveness Training for Therapists and the Hold Me Tight Workshop, a Couples Workshop based on Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) with Michelle Gannon, PhD in San Francisco, Tiburon and Esalen to help couples improve their closeness and connection. Testimonials, Details & Registration: HoldMeTightWorkshop.com

About Sam Jinich, Ph.D.

Sam is a Licensed Psychologist. He received a Ph.D. from the University of California, San Diego and San Diego State University’s Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology and a Masters degree in Counseling Psychology from Pepperdine University. He did his predoctoral internship and postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco Medical Center and Center for AIDS Prevention Studies.

Sam has experience teaching at the university level both as an adjunct faculty at Alliant International University (formerly known as the California School of Professional Psychology) and at San Diego State University. He has also taught as a guest lecturer at the University of San Francisco, The University of California, San Francisco Medical Center and at College of Notre Dame.

Sam is past president of the San Francisco Psychological Association and a former SFPA chapter representative to the Board of Directors of the California Psychological Association. Sam is one of the founders of the Northern California Community for EFT (NCCEFT) which is affiliated with the International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy (ICEEFT). Sam has been certified by ICEEFT as an EFT Therapist, Supervisor and Trainer. Sam co-facilitates the Hold Me Tight Workshop in San Francisco, a couples workshop based on the EFT model (HoldMeTightWorkshop.com). He is bicultural and fluent in Spanish and offers therapy to individuals and couples as well as consultation to therapists in English and Spanish.

What therapists have said about Sam

"I have always found Sam to be a warm, caring person who can very quickly engage meaningfully with others and has a strong capacity to build safe environments both for clinical work and for teaching."

"Sam connects
well with all levels of experience and is adept at creating safety in training
situations where participants are asked to take risks (e.g. role plays). He
remains engaged with the training group during breaks and demonstrates a clear
interest in those he is training. His
personal manner is highly professional and approachable. His supervision and
support instills confidence in others."

"Sam's presentations are well organized and thoughtfully presented. He is well prepared and has his participants
in mind when communicating technical details of the model. Sam's presentations
communicate effectively and he is responsive to participant questions."

"Sam has a sound and
foundational knowledge of the EFT model. He is clearly able to teach the
process of EFT and to anchor a theoretical understanding to practical examples
of the model in action."

"Sam is a great Hold Me Tight Workshop Leader and I am glad the greater EFT community will get the benefit of his skills and dedication to this work."

"Many of us have known and worked with Sam for many, many years and we all appreciate Sam's dedication, persistence and commitment to learning and teaching the EFT model which he has been passionate about for over twelve years."

"While I know that Sam is bilingual in English and Spanish - I really think his native tongue is EFT. He has a way of teaching the model that makes it come to life- he supervises without judgement- he teaches with clarity and wisdom- he embodies the core values of EFT."